MASARYK UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
Shyam Selvadurai: Multiple identities
Bachelor thesis Brno 2015
Superviser: PhDr. Irena Přibylová, Ph.D. Written by: Kateřina Halfarová Prohlášení
Prohlašuji, že jsem závěrečnou bakalářskou práci vypracovala samostatně, s využitím pouze citovaných literárních pramenů, dalších informací a zdrojů v souladu s Disciplinárním řádem pro studenty Pedagogické fakulty Masarykovy univerzity a se zákonem č. 121/2000 Sb., o právu autorském, o právech souvisejících s právem autorským a o změně některých zákonů (autorský zákon), ve znění pozdějších předpisů.
………………………… Kateřina Halfarová
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Acknowledgment
I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor PhDr. Irena Přibylová, Ph.D. for her inspiration, support, valuable advice, and time she devoted to me. I am very thankful for her guidance that helped me finish my thesis.
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Anotace
Bakalářská práce „Shyam Selvadurai: multiple identities“ se zabývá vlivem střetu kultur na hlavní hrdiny knihy Swimming in the Monsoon Sea napsanou Shyamem Selvaduraiem. Hlavním cílem práce je zjistit, zda a eventuálně jak, střet kultur ovlivňuje vývoj hrdinů knihy v jejich dospívajícím věku. Zda má multikulturalismus dopad na změnu stávající identity. Teoretická část práce se věnuje popisem multikulturalismu jako celku, multikulturní literatuře se zaměřením na autory pocházející z jižní Asie, protože autor rozebírané knihy pochází ze Srí Lanky. Další kapitoly jsou věnovány přímo autorovi Shyamu Selvadurai a jeho knize Swimming in the Monsoon Sea. Praktická část bakalářské práce analyzuje román a zaměřuje se na vývoj hrdinů v důsledku střetu kultur v oblasti rodiny, školy, náboženství, kultury, jazyka a osobního života.
Klíčová slova
Multikulturalismus; identita; literatura pro dospívající čtenáře; Shyam Selvadurai; střet kultur; Swimming in the Monsoon Sea.
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Anotation
The bachelor thesis “Shyam Selvadurai: multiple identities” is focused on the influence of culture clash on main‟s characters in the book Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai. The aim of the thesis is to find out, if and eventually how the culture clash contributes to the development of book‟s young characters and if multiculturalism has an impact on the change of their current identities. The theoretical part of the work describes multiculturalism in general, its origins and aspect which determine it. This part also expounds multicultural literature with the focus on South Asia authors, because the author of the analysed book comes from Sri Lanka. Another two chapter are devoted to the author Shyam Selvadurai and his book Swimming in the Monsoon Sea. The practical part of the bachelor thesis analyses already mentioned book and concentrates on the development of its characters in connection with the culture clash in the areas of family, school, religion, culture, language and personal life.
Key words Multiculturalism; identity; young adult literature; Shyam Selvadurai; culture clash; Swimming in the Monsoon Sea.
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Content
Introduction ...... 8
Exploring multiculturalism ...... 10
1 Multiculturalism as a phenomenon ...... 10
1.1 Origins of multiculturalism ...... 11
1.2 Aspects of group diversity ...... 13
1.3 The ethnic diversity in Canada ...... 16
2 Multicultural literature ...... 18
2.1 Origins of the concept ...... 18
2.2 The importance of multicultural literature ...... 19
2.3 Canadian multicultural literature ...... 19
3 Shyam Selvadurai ...... 23
3.1 Selvadurai‟s work ...... 23
3.2 Selvadurai: multiple identities ...... 24
4 Swimming in the Monsoon Sea ...... 25
The change of identity ...... 27
5 Family life ...... 28
6 Social identity ...... 31
6.1 School ...... 31
6.2 Religion ...... 33
6.3 Culture ...... 34
6.4 Language ...... 37
7 Personal life ...... 39
Conclusion ...... 43
Bibliography ...... 45
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1 Printed sources ...... 45
2 Online sources ...... 47
Appendix ...... 48
1 Map of Sri Lanka ...... 49
2 Photography of Shyam Selvadurai ...... 50
3 Mynah bird ...... 50
4 Sri Lankan typical clothes ...... 51
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Introduction
The main goal of the thesis is to find out how clash of cultures contributes to the development of a young character in the book Swimming in the Monsoon Sea (2005) by Shyam Selvadurai. As multiculturalism is nowadays a worldwide issue, I would like to show how it influences one‟s personality and his or her development of identity. I have chosen this topic because in my fourth year of bachelor studies I had a course called Canadian and Australian literature, which I was really interested in. We had an option of reading the young adult novel Swimming in the Monsoon Sea within the course. The story caught my attention and after reading the novel, I became aware of multiculturalism. Therefore, I wanted to find out more about this worldwide issue and for that I have chosen it as my bachelor thesis topic. I obtained many useful materials about multiculturalism in the seminars I visited. Since I am studying to be a future teacher, I also thought it would be essential to know more about multiculturalism, as I might have children from minority groups in my class. Firstly, I focus on the topic of multiculturalism in general. In order to obtain a vision of what multiculturalism really means. Within the first chapter I expound where multiculturalism comes from, which are the aspects that determine it, the question of identity and I also take a closer look to the ethnic diversity in Canada. The second chapter is devoted to multicultural literature. I describe the origins of the context, its importance, I focus on Canadian multicultural literature and then on the South Asian ethnic literature, as the author of the book Swimming in the Monsoon Sea comes from Sri Lanka. In this chapter I mostly report to Kamboureli‟s book Making a Difference. Canadian Multicultural Literature. (1996) I dedicate the whole third chapter to the author Shyam Selvadurai itself, to illustrate his life and literal production. Shyam Selvadurai is the author whose work I will be analysing in my practical part of the thesis. Therefore, I would like to introduce the author in more detail. The following chapter is called Swimming in the Monsoon Sea and is there to introduce the plot and main characters of the story. I also look at the explanation of the books name and author‟s attitude towards the story.
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In the practical part of my thesis, which is called The change of identity, I analyse the story and compare main character‟s family, social, and personal identity prior the visit of his Canadian cousin with the obtained identity which comes with the influence of character‟s cousin stay. I look for the key moments in the book which have an impact on the creation of identity. In my analysis I mainly report to a novel by Shyam Selvadurai Swimming in the Monsoon Sea. Within the fifth chapter of the practical part of the thesis, I elaborate the character‟s stance towards his family. I analyse the influence on the character‟s values, behaviour and personality which comes along with his cousin visit. In the next chapter I look at the area of character‟s social life. I describe the influence of school, religion, culture, and language towards book‟s characters. I want to demonstrate how the characters are shaped and stereotyped by social environment and how their identities change within the other culture‟s influence. The last chapter will summarize the cultural clash towards character‟s personal life. How he changes his own values, visions and attitude. In my bachelor thesis I hope to find all the multicultural aspects which contribute to the development of a young character‟s identity to show if multiculturalism does play role in the creation of a personal self or not. I also hope that the results of my bachelor thesis will help other students in their studies and researches.
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Exploring multiculturalism
1 Multiculturalism as a phenomenon
In today‟s world, multiculturalism is considered as a worldwide phenomenon. However, it is not a contemporary issue. Cultural diversity has been present in society for a very long time. If we look back into Ancient Greece, there already were small regions with diverse traditions, dialects, costumes, or identities, for example regions as Aetolia, Locris, Doris and Epirus. Also in the Ottoman Empire, where the majority were Muslims, we could find other religious groups like Christians, Jews, pagan Arabs, and others. Although the political dimensions of multiculturalism originated in the second half of the 20th century, when the word gained its label and emerged possible derivatives, societies have remained culturally diverse, with most countries having a mixture of individuals from different backgrounds, races, languages, religious affiliations, and so forth. (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)1
There are a lot of theories and definitions of what multiculturalism means. Dignen understands multiculturalism as “People or teachings from several different cultures.” (Dignen, 1991 in Dictionary of English Language and Culture: 874). To compare it with another one: “Several cultural or ethnic groups within a society.” (Hanks, 1998 in The New Oxford Dictionary of English: 1215). All definitions differ by the author‟s approach or point of view. Nevertheless, there are common similarities in the characteristic features that can be found in most of those definitions. Above all, multiculturalism refers to coexistence of more ethnic, religious, national, or cultural groups within one society. In the idea of multiculturalism, groups are considered to be essentially equal; there are no superior or inferior cultural values. I have looked up the definition in some English dictionaries. The interesting fact is that in dictionaries, which were published before the 1970s, for example Macmillan‟s Modern Dictionary, or Longman‟s Modern English Dictionary, there are no explanations of the word multiculturalism to be found. The reason for that is because multiculturalism has become a catchword not earlier then in the beginning of the 1980s.
1 http://www.iep.utm.edu/multicul/
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During the seventies and eighties multiculturalism got much more attention and research focused on multiple identities and therefore it became a recognized issue in the world. (Bubíková, 2007) Canada, China, Australia, or the United States are just a few examples of many culturally diverse countries. Each of the listed involves a variety of cultures; such as in Canada where English Canadians, Amish, Quebecois, Native Americans, or Chinese immigrants can be found. In contemporary China, there are 56 officially recognized ethnic groups, and 55 of these groups are ethnic minorities who make up approximately 8.41 percent of China‟s overall population. (He, 2006). These are some facts about the phenomenon of multiculturalism. For the future examination, however, we should mention one more interesting thing. It is connected with the meaning of ‟self ‟; with an individual facing this problem of multiculturalism. Therefore, some of these questions come to my mind: What does it really mean to have a multicultural self? Is being multicultural a problem? How to live out the combination of identities? Answers for these questions will be searched for later on in the practical part of my thesis.
1.1 Origins of multiculturalism
In this chapter I will expound the historical roots of the term multiculturalism and some historical events connected with multiculturalism in the US and Canada, which will help us to understand where the phenomenon comes from. The term multiculturalism was for the first time used in Sweden in the 1950s, where they wanted to specify a politically united nation which was culturally diverse when talking about uniting a nation, which was politically and culturally diverse. However, as a widespread belief the project of multiculturalism appeared in the second half of the 1960s in the United States of America as a result of the so-called ethnorevitalazing movements. The representatives of this movements requested political recognition of individuality of various groups and communities connected by common ethnical origins. (Banks, 2006) It was also linked with the idea of ‟melting pot‟. The metaphor stands for the conversion of heterogeneous society into more homogeneous
11 one where all the different features ‟melt‟ together. Overall, it was used to describe the assimilation of immigrants to the United States. (Booth, 1998)2 Since the 1960s the idea of multiculturalism has also spread to all Europe, partially as a result of the arrival of migrants from former European colonies overseas. The civil rights movements peaked in the late 1960s together with new patterns of immigration that involved social movements in the United States. Its goals were to finish racial segregation and discrimination against black Americans, to obtain equal rights, or to awake the sense of self-esteem (Black Pride) hindered by racism. (Bubíková, 2007) The social movements resulted in the change of the common sense of the whole American society and were also reflected in its artistic and literary representations. Originally, multiculturalism meant the way how to get away of the nationalistic definition of American national identity. The national identity excluded those ethnic groups that did not suit to the ideal, of that time predominant, white Anglo-Saxon Protestants. (Bubíková, 2007) As for Canada, the process of adopting multiculturalism is also a result of many historical developments. Specific ethnic groups which immigrated to Canada during the 1800s and the early 1900s faced problems in political participation, equal pay or in the right to vote. Although the black refugee from the United States had been accepted and tolerated, other minority groups as of African or Asian origins were not acceptable. The approach, however, started to change during the World War II. “Policy towards new immigrant ethnic groups began to change significantly. This was due in part to shifting views about the treatment of ethnic minorities and concerns about equality.” (Makarenko, 2010)3. The fact that the number of people from other ethnic groups was increasing reflected that the government policy could not ignore this issue. The 1960s were characterized by search for a cultural cohesion and national cultural homogeneity. The Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism4 in 1963 promoted not only the formal recognition of both French and English but also the contribution of other ethnic groups. (Makarenko, 2010)
2 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/meltingpot/melt0222.htm 3 http://mapleleafweb.com/features/multiculturalism-policy-canada 4 also known as the Laurendeau-Dunton Commission, to study Canada‟s language situation.
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In 1988, the Canadian Multiculturalism Act was published. The act gives an equal chance to participate in all aspects of country‟s collective life to every citizen, no matter the origin. (Burnet, 2009)5 A closer look to the composition of major ethnic groups in Canada will be taken in the following chapter.
1.2 Aspects of group diversity
For the future research in the practical part of my thesis, it is essential to define some major aspects of group diversity as I will look for them in literature. I would like to point out the importance of particular aspects in connection with multiculturalism. There are many kinds of group diversity. It can be for example cultural, race, religious, or language one. There is no exact number of the aspects but those listed I consider the major ones.
First of all, we should be aware of the usage of the term ‟culture‟. It is one of the key words for multiculturalism. But what do we mean by this ‟culture‟? Culture is a group of people in which same characteristics that differentiate them from others are shared. Giovanni Sartori (1924) sees culture in an anthropological sense. It means that it is a specific group of people that demonstrate specific behaviours which are passed from one generation to another. The important fact about culture is also that it is not created by nature but by humans within a society. Culture does not exist beyond society. (Sartori 2005) I would also like to mention the term „culture clash‟ as I will be using it in the practical part of my thesis. Culture clash is defined as “differences in cultural values and beliefs that place people at odds with one another”. (Turner, 2005) It is the cultural shock which rises from the cultural differences.
Another aspect we should devote our attention is language. “In the 21st century, there are more than 200 countries in the world and around 6000 spoken languages.” (Laitin, 2007). Linguistic diversity has its roots in immigration processes. People who
5 http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/multiculturalism/
13 had moved from one country to another once faced a language barrier. That is the reason why some minority groups do not share the language with the majority, for example Quebecois in Canada. There is another language phenomenon that cannot be omitted while talking about multiculturalism – multilingualism. The Longman’s Dictionary of English Language and Culture says that multilingual is a person who is “able to speak many different languages.” (1992) The most common type of multilingualism is bilingualism – being able to speak in two languages. Being bilingual or multilingual has an important meaning in social and cultural integration; to be more precise, in accepting new cultural values. If a person knows the language of the society he or she is growing in, it is always easier to integrate.
No less important feature in diversity is religion. Religious plurality, as it is also called, is a widespread issue in many countries. It is an attitude of religious belief which coexists in society. There is a variety of factors that are related to religious diversity; for example the worshiped Gods, dress codes, or public holidays. A good example of a country dealing with this issue is India. Among other religion groups in India, Sikhs, Hindus, and Buddhists are the most numerous. Religiously diverse is also the US consisting of Mormons, Amish, Hutterites, Catholics, Jews, etc. (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)6
After taking a closer look to a descriptive terminology we can see facts as: Indians in Canada have become ‟First Nation‟, Negroes in the United States are now ‟African-Americans‟, or Maori are called ‟New Zealanders‟. (Samson 2005, in Horáková, 2006). Race, as one aspect of multiculturalism, is of perpetual importance, especially when people are grouped into racial and ethnic categories. Race is a “group of people identified as distinct from other groups because of supposed physical or genetic traits shared by the group. “ (The Free Dictionary web page)7
6 http://www.iep.utm.edu/multicul/ 7 http://www.thefreedictionary.com/race
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These were the aspect that, besides other things, create, affect, and determine multiculturalism. For some of these mentioned aspects I will be later on looking for in specific ethnic writings.
1.2.1 Question of identity
For further examination, it is also indispensable to clarify the idea of identity, which is also one of the aspects of multiculturalism. There are no doubts that it is challenging to integrate ourself into distinct society but what can be considered even more difficult is to find our self – our identity; the substance through which we define ourselves, and others define us. (Petrucijová, 2005) Identities consist for example of our sexuality, race, class, religion, or gender. The multiplicity of identities is not always easy to negotiate. Identity and its dimensions change within our life time depending on situations, social roles, or social environment that we are associated with. The creation of identity has a significant meaning in our life. The big part of our identity comes from the era of adolescence. It is because children spend a lot of their time at school and family, which are important fields of socialization. (Petrucijová, 2005). “Healthy identity of a child develops only if the child has his/her own persons who permanently take care of the child in family, where the emotional bonds are strong, stable, and continual.” (Sobotková, 1999) In Sobotková‟s statement we can clearly see how important role family plays in the one‟s self development. Phinney and her colleagues came with a connection between development of identity within minority groups and the general development of identity. Members of minority groups have to deal with two principal problems that emerge from their status of non-dominant group in society. The first problem is an existence of stereotypical prejudice towards the group they belong to. The second one is a different social scale of values. Members of these groups are asked to choose between their scale of values, and deal with it, and the scale which is dominant in their society. Adolescents who are aware of these two problems and, or even face them, develop their achieved identity. On the other hand, those who are not able to face the two problems, develop their foreclosed identity. (Phinney et al., in Ponterotto et al., 2006)
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An individual of a minority group might be involved in the major without keeping relations with his ethnical group. This is called assimilation. A member adapts different culture. (Phinney et al., in Ponterotto et al., 2006) This phenomenon of multiple identities introduces a riddle for our understanding of what it is to be a human.
1.3 The ethnic diversity in Canada
In this chapter I will take a closer look to the ethnical composition of the population in Canada because further on I will be dealing with Canadian multicultural literature and Canadian ethnic authors, for example Sri Lankan ones. The demographic composition in Canada is heterogeneous in the sense of ethnicity. It is because people have come there from different countries with distinct cultural backgrounds. There are many reasons for the formation of multiculturalism in Canada. Some of them were the enduring problems of inequality among people, discrimination based on the colour of skin, or religious differences. These elements will not disappear and therefore need to be taken in consideration by society, and government. The outcome of it was already fore mentioned Canadian Multiculturalism Act from 1988. (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)8 “In 1991, over 11 million Canadians (including natives), or 42 percent of the Canadian population, reported having at least some ethnic origin other than British and French.” (Bothwell and Granatstein, 2001 in Horáková, 2006). The statistics said that about 2.3 to 2.6 million members of minority groups were added to the Canadian population during the years 1968 and 1995. (Statistics Canada, 1998)9 The last census in 2011 showed that more than 32% of Canadians considered their origin to be only Canadian. Other major recorded ethnic groups were English (19.8%), French (15.5%), Scottish (14.4.%), Irish (13.8%), Germans (9.8%), Italian (4.5%), Chinese (4.5%), North American Indian (4.2%), and other (50.9%). (Statistics Canada, 2012)10. I have also looked up the statistics for the representation of Sri Lankan ethnic group within the
8 http://www.iep.utm.edu/multicul/ 9 http://www.statcan.gc.ca/ 10 http://www.statcan.gc.ca/
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Canadian population which will be essential later on in my thesis for further examination and discussion. The total final percentage number exceeds 100. It is because citizens could mark more than one ethnic group, based on their feeling of belonging. For the purposes of this thesis, I have created a graph, which can be seen below. We can see the difference between the years 2006 and 2011 in percentage statement of the ethnic group composition in Canada. It did not change a lot. The 1996 statistics are more or less the same as those from 2006 and 2011. Unfortunately, I was not able to find statistics of Sri Lankan in 1996.
Canada: ethnic groups in 2006 vs. 2011
60
50
40
30
20 1996
10 2006 2011 0
Statistics of ethnic groups in Canada. Comparison of censuses from 1996, 2006, 2011. Own graph, based on data from Statistics Canada web page.
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2 Multicultural literature
Education, artistic creation, language, politics, music, architecture, or alimentation – these are only some of the fields that multiculturalism has influenced. Another fundamental field, in which multiculturalism has also been reflected, is literature. To discuss this field of literature, it is needful to first define it. “Multicultural literature includes literature about people who are considered to be outside of the mainstream of society and have been marginalized in some way.” (Canales, Lucido, Salas, 2002). It focuses on people of colour from diverse cultural, linguistic and religious groups. Another relevant thing to mention about multiculturalism and literature is that multicultural literature is not minority writing, for it does not raise issue that are of minor interest. Literature carries a content, it brings new information, stories, situations, or messages from the world. It puts emphasis on many topics in which an individual might find himself. Therefore, I would say that multicultural literature helps some readers to find or understand where they belong. It plays a considerable role in the development of understanding across all cultures. (Canales, Lucido, Salas, 2002).
2.1 Origins of the concept
The origins of multicultural literature go back to the 1960´s. It came after the multicultural education movement. “The historical roots of multicultural education lie in the civil rights movements of various historically oppressed groups. Many trace the history of multicultural education back to the social action of African Americans and other people of colour who challenged discriminatory practices in public institutions during the civil rights struggles of the 1960s.” (Banks, 1989). In this time African American ethnic writers in the United States began to rise public attention. Many of academic journals, and literary magazines dealing with ethnic groups were set up. Hence, the ethnic literature began to expand. Conferences dedicated to studies of
18 multicultural literature had taken place, and the canon of writers had been extended to include ethnic authors in anthologies. (Van Spanckeren, 2006)
2.2 The importance of multicultural literature
Multicultural literature is here to help readers identify cultural heritages, to respect the values of minority groups, or to understand sociological change. Reading about other cultures might open our eyes to the fact that what we may consider unusual or a form of misbehaviour could be considered a sign of respect and in another culture. Writers of this genre express their own values, ideas, and goals through the characters featured in their texts. Multicultural literature plays, as well, an important role in education, which should increase cultural awareness, portray customs, values, or history, and extend students‟ knowledge about parallel cultures. The chosen literature should also be accurate and should represent characters in positive, non-stereotypical ways. It is the teacher who selects the appropriate literature. Therefore he or she takes also an important part in the creation of children‟s self and helps them to understand where they belong. For example, if there is a child of colour in the classroom and the teacher chooses a literature where they do not see themselves, without coloured characters, they might feel devalued. Students should be able to make connections between literature and their everyday lives. Children, who cannot find themselves reflected in literature, might be less likely engaged in the reading process. Also, they obtain the subtle message that school is not for people like them (Colby & Lyon)11.
2.3 Canadian multicultural literature
The Canadian literature is now much more comprehensive than it was even as recently as in the 1970s. That is due to growing awareness of the country‟s increasing cultural diversity. In company with Canadian ‟mainstream‟ literature is a literature created by various ethnic groups that reached Canada after the first British and French settlers.
11 http://paws.wcu.edu/churley/10_1_colby.pdf
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Canadian multicultural literature gathers together poetry and fiction by authors who come from a wide range of racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Canadian literature arose from the colonial attitude of early British and French immigrants. The earliest structure of ethnic bias might be detected in the period of 1841 to 1855, which is explained by Carl F. Klinck in Literary History of Canada12 as that of ‟genteel colonialism‟13. (The Canadian Encyclopedia web page)14 However, as the phenomenon of multiculturalism is relatively new, I will focus only on the literature from the late 1980s, as these years were a response to the fact that multiculturalism has reached in the political, social, and academic areas. The mainstream literature has begun to include authors who have been traditionally excluded from such literature. (Kamboureli, 1996.). In the Dictionary of Canadian Literature15 published in 1983, there is no reference to multicultural or ethnic writings. Although, if I look to the same edited dictionary published in 1997, multicultural literature is already mentioned.
It is difficult to sort the representative writers of multicultural literature, because there is not any particular timeline of such writings. Normally, they are sorted by their country of origins. However, I will not list all of them, as it is not the purpose of my thesis. I will focus on the South Asian-Canadian literature, because the author, to whom I will devote major part of my thesis, comes from Sri Lanka.
2.3.1 South Asian-Canadian literature
The South Asians-Canadians make up the largest ethnic group in Canada. (Statistics Canada, 2011)16. South Asian people have been immigrating to Canada for many years. The very first immigrants, who came to British Columbia to work in the lumber industry, were Sikhs. These immigrants were writing mostly in their mother
12 Klinck, C. 1976. Literary History of Canada. Canadian literature in English. Toronto: Toronto University Press 13 The outstanding English language writers of that period who wanted to be English and aristocratic in every sense; in language, life style, etc. 14 http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ethnic-literature/ 15 Benson, E., Toye, W. 1983. The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature. Toronto: Oxford University Press 16 http://www.statcan.gc.ca/
20 tongue. However, the second wave of immigration, which began in the 1860s and is known as ‟the gold-rush‟17, brought already well-educated professional. It meant the advent of creative writing in English. (McGifford, 1992) Whether it is culture, religious, or linguistics, many South Asian-Canadians maintain strong bonds to their country of origins. They are proud of their ancient civilizations and traditions and are determined to make their inheritance part of their Canadian writing. They all come from diverse religious backgrounds (e.g. Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, or Christian) and while most of those South Asian-Canadians are able to speak one of Canada‟s official languages, majority of them speaks also their native language, as for example Punjabi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujurati or Hindi. Some of the representatives also used to publish in their mother tongue, however, during the two last decades writing in English has been the most prominent. (McGifford, 1992)
Now, I will take a look at the most outstanding writers belonging to this category. There are many South Asian writers who immigrated to Canada and who deal with the issue of cultural, religion, gender, or identity distinction. I would begin with, perhaps the best-know South Asian author, Michael Ondaatje (1943). He was born in Sri Lanka. However, at the age of 11 he moved to England along with his mother. “I was part of that colonial tradition of sending your kids off to school in England, and then you were supposed to go to Oxford or Cambridge and get a blue in tennis and return. But I never went to Oxford or Cambridge, I did not get a blue in tennis, and I didn‟t return.” (Ondaatje, in Kamboureli, 1996). Instead, he moved to Canada in 1962 and attended Bishop‟s University. Ondaatje‟s work includes fiction, autobiography, poetry and film. He has published 13 books of poetry, and has won many literary awards. His famous novel The English Patient (1992) was adapted as a film of the same name. He is one of a few South Asian writers who hardly ever write about the country of origin. His poetry and fiction are mostly about places other than Sri Lanka. His internationalist stance has been praised by some and criticized by others. (Banson & Toye, 1997). The next author I will mention is Rohinton Mistry (1952). Rohinton Mistry is an author of Indian origins; he was born in Bombay, India. His novels are mainly set in the
17 A period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold deposits.
21 streets of Bombay, the city, which he left at the age of 23 and moved to Canada. Mistry is considered as a number one author of Indian heritage writing. One of his books was also translated into Czech language, namely A Fine Balance (1995). It was Mistry‟s second novel, which describes ‟the cruelty and corruption, dignity and heroism, of India.‟ (Goodreads, 2007)18 Apart from the novel A Fine Balance, he has published another two novels – Such a Long Journey (1991) and, Family Matters (2002). Mistry publishes short stories as well. (Kamboureli, 1996). Another representative of South Asian origins is Rienzi Crusz (1925). He is one of the writers on the Kamboureli‟s the top list of ethnic Canadian authors. Crusz is best known for his poetry that portraits his experience of immigration, and the alienation of exile. His collections of poetry include, for example, Flesh and Thorn (1974), A Time for Loving (1986), or The Rain Doesn´t Know Me Any More (1992). While his poetry often contains lush imagery evoking his Sri Lankan origins, he never resorts to a comforting sense of nostalgia. (Kamboureli, 1996). The next author I would like to devote my attention is Himani Bannerji (1942) who was born in Bangladesh when it still was a part of pre-independent India. She is a poet, fiction writer, and a professor of Sociology at York University in Toronto. With the publications of Thinking Through (1995), Writing on the Wall: Essays on Culture and Politics (1993), or Unsettling Relations: The University as a Site of Feminist Struggle (1991), she became a major figure of cultural and anti-racist politics in Canada. Bannerji thinks of her roles of creative writings and social critic as being unavoidable for a Canadian non-white woman writer. (Kamboureli, 1996)
18 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5211.A_Fine_Balance
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3 Shyam Selvadurai
This chapter is to introduce the Sri Lankan-Canadian novelist Shyam Selvadurai, his literal works, and themes. I have devoted a longer chapter to this writer, because later on in the practical part of my thesis he is going to be the author at whose work I will be finding conclusions of the objectives of the thesis.
Shyam Selvadurai, who recently lives in Toronto, was born in 1965 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He was born to a Sinhalese19 mother and a Tamil20 father. These two were conflicting ethnic groups and the troubles between them became one of the major themes in Selvadurai‟s work. He spent his childhood in Sri Lanka. However, at the age of nineteen the ethnic riots made him moved to Canada along with his family. He studied creative and professional writing and theatre in York University and has a BFA from it, as well as an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia. Before realising his first novel, he produced some works for magazines and television right upon graduation.
3.1 Selvadurai’s work
Selvadurai has a clear engagement with his country of origin and its troubled history. Sri Lanka remained vital in his imagination despite the fact that he has been living in Canada for many years. Although, he has a clear vision of how impossible it would be for him to go back and to live there. “Being in Canada has been good; it has given me a creative perspective that I might not have had otherwise.” (Selvadurai, in Kamboureli, 1996). In 1994 he wrote his first, and perhaps best known, novel called Funny Boy which won the Books in Canada First Novel Award21. It is a novel that gives a portrait of the fear aroused by gender nonconformity in patriarchal societies. After Funny Boy
19 an ethnic group native to the island of Sri Lanka. They constitute 75% of the Sri Lankan population and number greater than 15 million. 20 Ethnic group where they speak Tamil as their mother tongue. Tamils comprise 15.36% of the population in Sri Lanka. 21A literary award given annually to the best first novel in English published the previous year by a citizen or resident of Canada.
23 he published Cinnamon Gardens in 1998, which is a novel that discusses if it is possible to pursue personal happiness without compromising the happiness of others. In 2005 he released his third book, which I will be dealing with later on, Swimming in the Monsoon Sea. His novels are normally published in Canada and Sri Lanka, although his last novel The Hungry Ghosts (2013) was also published in India. (Shyam Selvadurai Home Page)
3.2 Selvadurai: multiple identities
His novels are for teens as well as for adults. In his novels he deals with dilemmas of being homosexual, as he is one himself, and engages to other non-traditional lifestyles within the traditional culture of Sri Lanka. In many cases he contrasts these issues with Canadian culture through a character in his book, for example a character of Niresh in Swimming in the Monsoon Sea. “On a personal level, I was also beginning to come to terms with being gay, beginning to live out another very important part of my identity. It was very clear to me that the pure sense of being Sri Lankan was based on rigid heterosexual and gender roles. Where did someone like me belong then? By being a gay, was I no longer Sri Lankan? And if that was not the case, what did it mean to be both Sri Lankan and gay; how to live out this combination of identity?” (Shyam Selvadurai, 2005). Selvadurai also deals with the problem of multiple identities. As mentioned above, identity is the substance through which we define ourselves, and others define us. (Petrucijová, 2005) Therefore, Selvadurai in his writing tries to find and explain the way how to live out the multiple identities, how to integrate into society, or how it is to have a burden of dual identity. In one of his essays he refers that he remembers the times of his childhood when he had to deal with his dual identity and how alone he was. Thus, he decided to write about the issue to help those Sri Lankans who have the same problem. (Shyam Selvadurai, 2005)
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4 Swimming in the Monsoon Sea
Within this chapter, I will introduce the plot and main characters of the story Swimming in the Monsoon Sea (2005). I will also look at the explanation of the books name and author‟s attitude towards the story. Swimming in the Monsoon Sea was Selvadurai‟s third novel he published. The book was a finalist for Canada‟s most famous literary award – the Governor General‟s Awards22 – in the category of Children‟s literature. It was also awarded with Lambda Literary Award23 in the category of Children‟s Literature as well. As for the story, it is set in Sri Lanka in 1980 during the season of the monsoons24. The main character of the book is Amrith, a 14 year-old boy whose parents died in an accident when he was 6. He was adopted by aunty Bundle and uncle Lucky, his mother‟s best friend and her husband. They have always treated Amrith as their own son, even though they had two daughters – Selvi and Mala. Amrith is waiting for a boring summer, where the only distraction would be rehearsing for an Othello play and studying typing in uncle Lucky‟s office. However, this is only until his Canadian cousin Niresh arrives. Amrith‟s ordinary life and summer are tossed. Amrith did not really have a friend until Niresh came. They get along well and do things together. Niresh tells him about Canada, how different is to live there, they spend a lot of time together, and so Amrith finds his first real friend. He is so glad to have a friend which also makes him being afraid of losing him. He does not want to ‟share‟ him with someone else. Over time, Niresh starts to peek at Amrith‟s step-sister Mala. Amrith is so jealous that he even tries – without realizing it – drown her. After that Amrith becomes aware of his love to Niresh. Of the same love as a girl loves boy or boy a girl. Amrith does not tell anyone about his orientation, as homosexuality is illegal in Sri Lanka (Every Culture web page)25, but hopes that he will find a soul mate in the future.
22 A collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. 23 It is an award which identifies and celebrates the best lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendre book of the year. 24 A seasonal wind that blows from the southwest and brings the rainy season to Sri Lanka. 25 http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Sri-Lanka.html
25
The name of the book is related to the Amrith‟s character and emotions. The monsoon can have a destructive force as well as Amrith‟s emotions. His anger is connected with the ocean´s power. His swimming in the Monsoon Sea and attempt to drown Mala are the key moments, when Amrith realizes his feelings and emotions. Amrith‟s journey of self-discovery is a hard and lonely swim battling against strong currents. Selvadurai itself says in the Author‟s Note for this book that “This novel, though fictional, is filled with details from my happy childhood in Sri Lanka: as a way to enshrine that time, and to, perhaps, bid it goodbye.” (Selvadurai, 2005). As I have mentioned above, South Asian writers are very keen to their origin land and so Selvadurai tries to portray the landscape and culture of Sri Lanka by this novel. I would say that Selvadurai describes himself through the character of Amrith because they both have to fight with the problem of multiple identities and find their place in the society. Further analysis and some extracts of the book will be done and shown in the practical part of my thesis.
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The change of identity
In the theoretical part of my work I explained the worldwide phenomenon of multiculturalism. I described some aspects, which determine multiculturalism, covered the problem of multiple identities, and last but not least I devoted my attention to multicultural literature in Canada and some of its representatives. Now, I will use the information in my practical part, where I will by analysing Shyam Selvadurai‟s book Swimming in the Monsoon Sea. As the objective of my thesis is to find out how clash of cultures contributes to the development of a young character, I will compare Amrith‟s familial, social, and personal identity with the identity he obtains after the visit of his Canadian cousin Niresh. Amrith‟s and Niresh‟s characters gradually develop through the story. They begin to accept identities other than those they have already had; and that, of course, influences their thinking and behaviour. Petrucijová says that identity and its dimensions change within our life time depending on situations, social roles, or social environment that we are associated with. (Petrucijová, 2005) Therefore, I will search for some examples of Amrith‟s and Niresh‟s development in connection with the clash of cultures. I will show how different culture might affect someone‟s life, whether it is in a good or bad way. By analysing the story Swimming in the Monsoon Sea I am going to expound Amrith‟s character, personality, and behaviour in the areas of familial, personal, and social life. I want to draw a portrait of Amrith‟s identity prior to the arrival of his Canadian cousin Niresh, prior to the clash of cultures, and put it in contrast with the change that occurs during and after Niresh‟s visit. I will also analyse Niresh‟s character and its change influenced by his stay in Sri Lanka.
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5 Family life
Amrith is an orphan child. He lost his parents when he was 6 years old. Until that time, he had gathered very nice memories of his mother. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of his father. The only memory Amrith has got of him is that he is a „sound, a voice shouting in the night‟. (Selvadurai, 2005:9) He was loved only by his own mother; she gave him the sense of security, she meant a „home‟ for him. He did not have friends at that time, which, continued until his teenage years. The only soul mate he had was his „Amma‟26. After his parents died, Amrith was adopted by his mother‟s friend and her husband. The family has always treated Amrith as if he was their own child, however, Amrith does not feel in the same way. Amrith tends to be of introvert temper - closed in his room, not to be bothered by others, and lost in his thoughts. He ‟kept such rigid control when it came to the past‟. (Selvadurai, 2005:7). He does not talk about the past with anyone. It seems to me that by doing so, he tries to somehow escape the fact that his mother is gone. He does not even want to go to a Mass devoted to his mother‟s death anniversary. Amrith simply wants to deal with it alone, closed in his room. Amrith shares a house with Auntie Bundle, Uncle Lucky and their two daughters Mala and Selvi. The relationship with his adoptive parents is very formal and respectful. He never opposes, at least not aloud, to them. Uncle Lucky is the one to whom Amrith trusts more than anyone else in the world. They respect and, moreover, understand each other even without talking. It might be because of the fact that in Sri Lankan society, the patriarch (mostly father or the oldest man) is considered as the leader of the family, respected by others. (Every Culture web page)27 Auntie Bundle is a kind, calm and caring woman. Although she always tries to help Amrith in his bad moments, he prefers to stay alone, without anyone‟s help or sorrow. Amrith, not knowing why, feels a little resentment against Auntie Bundle. However, they both, Auntie Bundle and Uncle Lucky, always treat Amrith in a good and fair way, which Amrith realizes but never takes an advantage of it. When it comes to Amrith‟s step sisters Mala and Selvi, their relationships are not bad as well. Amrith likes to make fun of them, but in a good way. They often visit
26 The Sinhala word for mother, which is widely used within the book Swimming in the Monsoon Sea. 27 http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Sri-Lanka.html
28 each other‟s rooms and talk. When I say talk, I do not mean that Amrith would talk about himself; he rather only comments on Mala‟s and Selvi‟s talks. Amrith is a closed person and he barely shares his deep thoughts or problems with anyone. Mala and Selvi accept Amrith as part of their family and they would never dare to remind him that he is not of their surname. By Sri Lankan society their family is considered as one from an upper class. “Class status is manifested in speech, dress, employment, education, and housing.” (Every Culture web page)28 They fulfil all of these requirements to be the ‟elite‟ class. Their house is big and nicely furnished. Both Uncle Lucky and Auntie Bundle have well-paid jobs, and their children get very good education. For that, Amrith does not suffer from social class problems. Amrith belongs to a well-situated family. The family wants him to feel as a part of it. Amrith, though, cannot reconcile with his past. He wishes to forget about it, however, he often finds himself thinking of the past. The loss of his mother ‟makes him aware that he has no real family‟. (Selvadurai, 2005:33) Therefore, he is the only introvert member of his new family, which sometime makes him uncomfortable.
Everything changes after the arrival of Amrith‟s Canadian cousin Niresh. Amrith becomes aware of the fact that their culture, traditions, and social life differ from the one in Canada. At the beginning he is a little bit uncomfortable with the presence of his cousin but in the end, he does not want Niresh to leave. Niresh enriches Amrith in many ways and has an influence on his character; with the arrival of Niresh, Amrith‟s identities become to change as well as those of Niresh. Primarily, I will focus on the clash of cultures and its influence on Amrith‟s personality within the family. The very first shock for Amrith comes when he is introduced to Niresh and his father. Amrith goes to meet them along with Uncle Lucky. They are to meet them at noon in a hotel where Niresh and his father are staying. As soon as they enter, they see only Amrith‟s uncle Mervin. Uncle Mervin apologizes and says that he does not know where Niresh is, he was supposed to be there at noon. Later they find him playing at the pool, which already surprises Amrith because in his society they do not let other people
28 http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Sri-Lanka.html
29 wait. (Every Culture web page)29 Amrith is amazed even more when Uncle Mervin says to his son that Amrith is there, and the first thing that gets out of Niresh‟s mouth is „fuck‟. (Selvadurai, 2005:97) Niresh starts to argue with his father about the time they were supposed to meet. Amrith, being intimidated since the moment his cousin screamed out „fuck‟, cannot believe this kind of behaviour. In his family, Amrith would not dare to argue with his parents, not even would he dare to say such a vulgarism to his parents or to anyone else. The culture clash is there to show how different cultures perceive and respect a family. In Sri Lanka, parents are the authorities respected by other members of the family. On the other hand, Niresh‟s attitude towards his father shows the liberal type of family, which is characterized by benevolent attitude of parents who do not make many request towards their children. (Sobotková, 1999) Amrith realizes his values towards his parents, however, his stance to his sisters changes. Before the cousin‟s arrival, Amrith behaved well and attentively to Mala and Selvi. However, as the story continues he becomes more confident with himself, which makes him to defy his sisters and to tell them what he really thinks of their family. “No, you are not my sister, and I have always-always thought of you, all of you, as strangers. This has never felt like my home.” (Selvadurai, 2005:216) Amrith sees Niresh as strong, open-minded, and to be truthful person. He also becomes aware of his popularity and hence he is adapting to him, he wants to be like Niresh; like the Canadian „cool‟ boy. Before Niresh‟s visit, Amrith would not say such a thought not to harm others feelings. He is always cautious in expressing himself. However, along with Niresh‟s influence Amrith begins to accept his language and style of expressing to be like him. Amrith wants to accept Niresh‟s identity. On the other hand, Niresh‟s stay does not have only negative influence on Amrith‟s relationship to his family. Within the story, Niresh makes Amrith to be more open to people and to share his problems and thoughts. He always asks him for his opinion. Niresh wants to make Amrith to talk about his past. Therefore, in the end of the book, Amrith realizes that by sharing problems he can make his life happier. He finally perceives himself as part of the family and accepts his new familial identity. “Amrith looked after Auntie Bundle and he wondered how he had ever held such resentment
29 http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Sri-Lanka.html
30 against her all these years.” (Selvadurai, 2005:272) Amrith comes to the realization that he values his family and does not want to accept the Canadian attitude of being disrespectful to his parents. He becomes conscious of what the family does and means for him. Overall, I would say that the culture clash contributed in a positive way considering the main character‟s personal development within the family. Amrith becomes aware of the love he receives from his adoptive family by being more open and confident with his own identity. After his cousin‟s visit Amrith finally finds his place. He also realizes the value, which his family has.
6 Social identity
In this chapter I would like to describe the social environment of Amrith‟s life. It is the influence of school, religion, culture, and language towards Amrith‟s and also Niresh‟s characters. I want to demonstrate how their characters are shaped and stereotyped by social environment in which they live and how their identities later change after the confrontation with different culture.
6.1 School
Amrith was not born into well-situated family. However, he was lucky enough to be accepted by Uncle Lucky and Auntie Bundle. All three children, Amrith, Mala, and Selvi, are provided by high education and sent into good schools. Moreover, Amrith attends a typing course in Uncle Lucky‟s office, which also increases his knowledge. Knowledge is for Sri Lankans an important element, because “In Sri Lanka, education has always been highly valued and encouraged.” (Every Culture web page)30. Sri Lankan‟s school year is divided into three semesters. It begins in January, and the three semesters are separated from one another by month-long holidays in April, August and December. Schools in Sri Lanka are not coeducational and therefore Amrith attends a single sex secondary school.
30 http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Sri-Lanka.html
31
The next cultural shock comes when Niresh finds out that the coeducational system does not exist in Sri Lanka. On the other hand Amirith, Mala and Selví are shocked when Niresh tells them that in Canada boys and girls attend school together. “Of course I go to school with guys and girls. You don‟t?” (Selvadurai, 2005:112) This fact of single sex education system might have influence on Amrith‟s gender identity. If boys are surrounded only by boys until they are 18 – only after that they are allowed to find a girlfriend (Selvadurai, 2005) - it may have an impact on their gender and personal identity, for example they might find to be attracted by other boys. The big part of our identity comes from the era of adolescence. (Petrucijová, 2005) Boys, as well as girls, are not used to be surrounded by the opposite gender; they do not come in touch unless they visit, for example, after school associations. It might also affect the behaviour to opposite gender. For example, for Niresh it is normal to do activities together with Mala and Selvi, but on the other hand, Amrith sees his attitude towards the girls as unusual. The question of how boys get in touch with girls comes also to Niresh‟s mind. “Wow, so, like, how do you guys meet chicks?” (Selvadurai, 2005:113) In Canada, it is a normal think that boys and girls grow up together.
During August holidays, the school is preparing for an Interschool Shakespeare Competition, in which each school is asked to rehearse a scene from a Shakespearean play and then perform it to audience. Here, we can see the influence of British culture. There are no tendencies to return to the local culture concerning literature. Although Sri Lankans have their own cultural background, the still incline to the British one. Another example of British culture influence is shown by the literature which is read by Sri Lankan‟s - Mill on the Floss by George Elliot, or Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Even though they could rehearse some Sri Lankan play, they stick to the British traditional literature. I see a problem here, because people have to reassess their identities by accepting other people‟s culture. The locals were used to the traditional Sri Lankan culture they lived in but thanks to the British influence over Sri Lanka, there are remains of other culture even many years after. The domination of British culture is also reflected in the school environment. The school rehearses a scene from Othello, where the female roles are played by boys because of the single sex education. There is a direct link to Elizabethan theatre, in
32 which boys played women‟s roles as well. (Elizabethan Era web page)31 Amrith takes part in rehearsals. He is excited about the play because he thinks that it could give him a way to stand out. Last year he won the cup for Best Female Portrayal from a Boy‟s School and hence he wants to succeed this year as well. Amrith competes for a role of Desdemona, as it is one of the major roles in the play. From this part of a book, I could note that even though Amrith is really closed and shy person, he wants to be recognized and respected by others. Otherwise, he would not hope for getting the major role. He wants to be recognized for being someone else. It might be connected with his past. Amrith wishes to have his own family and to be happy in it. However, he is conscious of the impossibility of his dream; he considers himself as an orphan child. Therefore he likes to pretend to be someone else to express his emotions and to be recognized for being someone else. Amrith is an excellent student and he always studies the scripts for plays very intensively. He memorizes his lines already after the first rehearsal. Nevertheless, during these August holidays Amirith is distracted due to the Niresh‟s visit. Since he has never had a real friend, is completely fixated on Niresh. For the first time in his life Amrith experiences adventure, friendship, and attentiveness from others. Consequently, he forgets about his school duties. Although it does not have much to do with the culture clash, Amrith‟s „new life style‟ does have an impact on his attitude towards school. This is once again a sign of his personal change.
6.2 Religion
Even though Buddhism is the major religion in Sri Lanka, Amrith‟s family is Catholic. (Every Culture web page)32 I have already mentioned that British invasion reflected in Sri Lankan‟s culture and it can be also seen in religion. Buddhism is the most expanded religion, but Catholic faith has remained as an effect of other culture.
Since the population is religiously diverse, Amrith struggles with his position concerning religion. Although he goes to church and attends Sunday Masses, at the end of the book he appeals to Buddha, as he did not find understanding from God in his
31 http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-theatre.htm 32 http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Sri-Lanka.html
33 prayers. “Amrith, drawn by the power of the Buddha‟s gaze, found himself going towards the cave. Before he entered, he removed his shoes as a sign of respect. „Help. Please help me.‟ ” (Selvadurai, 2005:245) He used to pray to God, when he was a little child. He wanted the God to stop his father‟s raging, but he was never given an understanding. That might also be a reason why he appeals to Buddha; he wants to find another hope.
6.3 Culture
In this chapter, I will search for cultural diversity between Sri Lanka and Canada. I will describe how Niresh‟s Canadian identity actuates Amrith‟s Sri Lankan one and the other way round. Although “Canada has always been a place of diversities – racial, ethnic, and linguistic” (Kamboureli, 1996), Niresh is many times astonished by how different two cultures might be. Culture is a specific group of people that demonstrate specific behaviours which are passed from one generation to another. (Sartori, 2005) Therefore, I want to look at the different features of behaviour which reflect in the book‟s characters. I am also going to expound the British influence towards the Sri Lankan traditions that occur within the story to portray how the local inhabitants got used to those traditions. Sri Lanka has its unique and diverse culture. Its culture is influenced by Indians and Europeans because Sri Lankan kings normally married Indian princesses who brought their traditions into this country. The European influence was a result of Dutch, Portuguese, and British invasion. I have already provided some examples of such an influence. (Every culture web page)33
Firstly, I would like to point out the way of addressing people in Sri Lanka. Local children and young adults always address an older family friend by calling him or her uncle or aunt. Even though they do not belong into the family, the custom is to call them uncle or aunt as a sign of respect. For example, Auntie Bundle works with an
33 http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Sri-Lanka.html
34 architect called Lucien Lindamulagé and when he meets Amrith, he is always addressed as uncle. After Niresh arrival, Amrith faces the discomfort of addressing his own uncle in such way. Amrith feels anger against this man for the ignorance of his presence since his mother‟s death. Therefore, he is not sure whether to address him in a respectful way or not. “Amrith was about to add „Uncle‟, like he would have done as a sign of respect to any older man, but the word froze in his mouth.” (Selvadurai, 2005:97) In the end, he addresses Mervin calling him uncle, but only because Amrith thinks that he might be considered rude. Nevertheless, as Mervin is not used to this way of addressing, „a mixture of emotions flitted over his face‟. (Selvadurai, 2005:97) Although Amrith thought it would be rude not to address Mervin by calling him uncle, Mervin was not expecting to be called like this. Here is once again seen the clash of cultures. The different way of addressing may mix up people‟s emotions.
Amrith has an aviary with mynah bird, which is another cultural tradition in Sri Lanka. It has a specific significance for Amrith. His mynah bird, called Kuveni (after Sri Lankan queen), does not talk, even though this particular species of birds is known for their talking. As Amrith is a closed person and also cannot „talk‟, cannot entrust his secret about being different, the author relates Amrith to the mynah bird in the novel. Uncle Lucien has an idea of buying a male mynah bird to the female one that Amrith already has. By doing so, the female mynah bird would not feel lonely and perhaps begin to talk. However, at the end of the book Amrith realizes that his Kuveni is satisfied as she is. “It struck Amrith that Kuveni had never resorted to feather- plucking or any other signs of anxiety and depression. She seemed perfectly content to be alone. Perfectly content to remain silent.” (Selvadurai, 2005:267) By this tradition of having an aviary with mynah bird, the author reflects the personality of Amrith. Before he realizes that he can live with his „gift‟ of being different, he feels lonely, because he does not have anyone to talk to. He thinks he perhaps needs a friend to become more open, but in the end he realizes that he somehow likes his silence and that he is able to live out the identity of being „different‟. Amrith knows that there are persons, to whom he could talk to, but instead he remains silent, as his Kuveni bird. He maybe finds a way
35 how to „talk‟ in the future but right now he is „perfectly content to remain silent‟. (Selvadurai, 2005:268)
Another aspect which counts into culture is the way of clothing. Clothing in Sri Lanka is different from the one in Canada, where people usually wear shorts, or trousers with a T-shirt. In Sri Lanka, women normally wear a sari which is a colourful long dress, and men wear sarong which is a long piece of cloth, wrapped around the waist like a towel, long enough to reach the feet. While women would go to special occasions in their sari, men would never wear sarongs. They will wear trousers and shirt. If Sri Lankans need to get a new shirt or sari, they will not simply go to the story, but they will call a tailor. (Every Culture web page)34 It is as well shown in the book. Amrith needs to get a new shirt, and so Niresh, who has never had a shirt made for himself, wants one two. It is so strange for him, it would be considered as a sign of luxury back in Canada. On the other hand, Auntie Bundle does not understand why he wants a made shirt, if they have such nice shirts in Canada. “Ours must seem so homemade by comparison.” (Selvadurai, 2005:178) Niresh chooses the same fabric as Amrith, which is a thrill for him that they would have matching shirts. I would say that it cheers up his self-confidence. As for Niresh, he might want to get the same shirt as Amrith to fit more into the Sri Lankan society, to be considered not as a stranger but as a part of that particular society. Although the way of clothing does not directly contribute to the development of the character‟s identity, I wanted to show another culture clash. While Sri Lankans think that in Canada they have better clothes, the Canadian cousin wants to have a made shirt that he would never get in Canada and it may also play a role in his classification in society.
Celebrating birthdays is another example of cultural diversity. The family prepares birthday party for Mala and Selvi, as they were both born in August. The preparations last for four weeks. They have to repair the roof, buy food, get the clothing made, etc. The difference is in the party itself. Even though it is Mala‟s and Selvi‟s birthday party, the family invites as well the parents‟ friends. “Man, things are sure
34 http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Sri-Lanka.html
36 different here. Back in Canada, if your dad or mum had their friends to your birthday, you‟d be considered a real loser.” (Selvadurai, 2005:171) While in Canada it is something strange to have parents‟ friends to the party, in Sri Lanka it is a normal tradition. Also the number of guests invited is to be thought about. There are 110 people invited. While in Sri Lanka it is a normal birthday party, in Canada a big party such as this one would be acceptable as an different event (for example wedding), not „only‟ a birthday party of two young girls. (Selvadurai, 2005) Niresh sees the value that Sri Lankans hold towards their family and perhaps he wishes to have also a family like Amrith has.
As for the traditions which were taken over from the British culture, there are many links to them within the whole book. The one I have not mentioned so far is the influence of roses. The climate conditions are not suitable for growing roses; however, as roses are cultivated in Britain, the settlers have brought them also to this island of Sri Lanka. Roses were favourite flowers of Amrith‟s mum; therefore he decides to plant them in her graveyard even though they need a lot of tending in their tropical climate.
Examples in this chapter have shown us the impact of culture to the one‟s identity. Whether it has a direct influence or not, we might see that the culture clash does play a role in the received identity. An influence of another culture might change our values and believes which is seen for example in Niresh‟s life when he wants to have a made shirt to integrate into Sri Lankan society.
6.4 Language
Language, as another aspect of multicultural diversity, plays an important role in the novel Swimming in the Monsoon Sea. There are clearly shown the differences between two worlds. Although they share the same language, it is different in the way of expressing oneself, in the accent, or in the use of words. In the theoretical part of my thesis, I have written that linguistic diversity has its roots in immigration processes. People who had moved from different countries to
37 another have faced a language barrier. (Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy)35 Therefore, I would like to show, how language influences the novel‟s characters.
Amrith‟s family talks among themselves in English; it is another example of remains of the British invasion. Children talk only English, they are taught in English at school since the first grade. Although the family belongs into Sinhala ethnic group, they do not talk Sinhala language with each other. There is a good example in the book when Amrith gets a present from his Untie Wilhelmina, which is a deed for a summer cottage in Amrith‟s name. “It was an official-looking document in a complicated Sinhalese that he could not understand.” (Selvadurai, 2005: 269) Even though Amrith is not an immigrant, he faces a language barrier thanks to the British invasion. I believe, it is also a difficult issue for the locals not to be able to talk in their language of origin, which mixes up their identity of where they belong to; whether they are of British or Sri Lankan tradition.
Another example of the cultural shock between Canada and Sri Lanka is the way of speaking. While Sri Lankan English is very standard, textbook-like, and accurate, the Canadian is more likely to be slang and natural. Not once is Amrith amazed by Niresh‟s language, which he eventually takes up. “Niresh sounded like someone from Hollywood movie and Amrith had even begun to use some of his cousin‟s expressions, saying „yeah‟, instead of „yes‟.” (Selvadurai, 2005:169) I would say it is because Sri Lankans are taught English only at school and family. Hence, they do not use vulgarisms, slang, or filler words. The difference is also clearly to be found in the dialogs between Niresh and Amrith. “Don‟t be an ass, Amrith. I asked you out.” vs. “No, I have to pay. Uncle Lucky will be very upset if I do not.” (Selvadurai, 2005:131)
There is one part in the novel when an accent is mentioned. Niresh says he hates his accent, but Amrith cannot understand why, he thinks he sounds like someone in a movie. “It‟s just that when people comment on my accent, it makes me aware that I‟m not Sri Lankan. I mean, I‟m not Canadian and then, over here, I‟m not Sri Lankan. I don‟t belong anywhere.” (Selvadurai, 2005:171) That is the problem of multiple
35 http://www.iep.utm.edu/multicul/
38 identities. As Niresh says, he does not really know where he belongs to. He is confused about his origins. Niresh is an individual of a minority group who is involved in the major society and does not keep relations with his ethnical group. This is called assimilation. (Phinney et al., in Ponterotto et al., 2006) Although Niresh is assimilated with Canadian culture, in Sri Lanka he realizes that it is not his real culture. In Canada he is considered to be a Sri Lankan - despite the fact that he does not know anything about its culture - and in Sri Lanka to be a Canadian. Niresh was born in Canada but was growing up in a family of Sri Lankan origins, which, of course, has had an impact on his language and a place in society. In his school back in Canada Niresh was considered to be „just a Paki36‟. (Selvadurai, 2005: 242) The book is set in 1980, when multiculturalism was not as spread issue as it is nowadays. Multiculturalism has become a catchword since the 1980s. (Bubíková, 2007) Therefore, I think that it is the reason why Niresh was not considered as a Canadian in Canada.
In this chapter we could see that language plays an important role in a person‟s identity. The accent will always reveal our origins. In my opinion, it is the language which still remains us that we are of different ethnic group then others. We might accept others traditions, religion, or costumes, but it is very hard to change the way we were taught to speak. I would say that it is a burden with which the multicultural persons have to reconcile to.
7 Personal life
Overall, Amrith‟s personal life is not very rich. Although he has activities to do, such as typing, rehearsing, taking care of his mynah bird, it seems that he is not excited about those hobbies; he performs them as if they were errands. He is like a body without a soul. Amrith is not popular among his folks. None of the boys have ever tried to make him overture of friendship. Instead, his introvert character makes him to be the one who is teased by others. Amrith‟s family tries to find him a friend; they do not want him to
36 A paki is a word used to describe a person from south asia. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Paki
39 be on his own, Amrith, however, remains alone. One example from the book is when Uncle Lucky asks Amrith if there is any boy from his drama society he would like to spend a day with. Amrith just feels ‟the heat rising in his head‟ (Selvadurai, 2005:26) and does not answer. Finally, after Niresh arrival, Amrith finds his soul mate. He suddenly has someone to spend his free time with. Amrith finally has a model for a creation of his own identity; he wants to be like Niresh. He does not only want to adapt to his personality but also to his appearance. “He was thinking about his cousin‟s haircut and hoping that, by the end of the holidays, his hair would be long enough to blow-dry into a more fashionable style.” (Selvadurai, 2005:111) Since Niresh was his first real friend, he wanted to approach to him by being like him. Another example of Niresh influence in the development of Amrith‟s character is in the area concerning friends. He becomes more open to the outside world, he feels that by sharing thoughts, problems, or memories with someone else, the burden of his black moods eases a little. He also can face his school mates‟ offences; he knows that there is someone standing on his side. Hence, he becomes braver and does not tolerate the boys‟ pranks. It seems to me that by the end of the book he changes his values towards others and wants to be integrated into society. Towards the end of the book Auntie Bundle asks Amrith if he wants to join a theatre club to meet some boys and girls. At that moment, Amrith does not fell the „heat rising in his head‟; instead, he says that he is going to think about it; which, in my opinion, is a big change in the development of his identity.
Homosexuality, which is illegal in Sri Lanka, is also an issue Amrith deals with. Amrith goes through so called ‟black moods‟. “These black moods were quite recent and they frightened him. They had started about a year ago, around the time he turned thirteen. With his changing body, it seemed that a change had occurred within.” (Selvadurai, 2005:32) The explanation of moods and change of Amrith‟s body has, I believe, an impact on his gender identity. He does not realize his orientation so far. Yet, he perceives some kind of a change inside him. The realization comes later on in the book within the stay of Niresh.
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One day, Amrith and Niresh go to change to Amrith‟s room. To be more accurate, Niresh goes to change and Amrith goes to pick up his clothes to go to change to the bathroom. As soon as they enter the room Niresh becomes to strip down. He even pulls his trunks down and begins to wipe his body. Amrith is astonished. He has never seen any men naked. “Sri Lankan men were modest and did not strip down in front of each other.” (Selvadurai, 2005:162) We have another culture shock. While it is perfectly normal for Canadian boy to strip down in front of other men, for Amrith it is something immodest, something not acceptable in his society, which, I believe, results from the fact that homosexuality is illegal in Sri Lanka. Amrith does not know how to behave in such situation. Moreover, he, with dismay, realizes he has an erection. This was the key moment for Amrith to become aware of his orientation. He loves Niresh in a way a boy loves a girl. Amrith knows that there is no way of admitting it. The problem, though, is how to live out with such a burden. The society views homosexuality as something not acceptable and wrong, it is an issue which they do not talk about. Since there is nobody Amrith could share his ‟difference‟ with, it is another source of his black moods and unsociability. In the end Amrith reveals the secret to his mother‟s graveyard and feels how the burden has fallen of him. Niresh‟s confession helps him to do so. Niresh confides to Amrith that the life he lives in Canada is not as he has portrayed it to him. “I don‟t belong into football team, and those guys who were supposedly my friends would have nothing to do with me. In my school I am nothing but a freak. A freak and a Paki.” (Selvadurai, 2005:242) He was only pretending to be someone who is not in Canada. Niresh changes his identity to be someone he wishes to be. He does not belong to anywhere, neither to Canadian culture, nor to Sri Lankan one. Therefore, I think, he wants to be recognized for being someone else, to have a Canadian identity.
Both, Amrith and Niresh, have to live the burden of carrying a multiple identity. They are both lonely and desperate in their lives. Although Niresh does not show his real character, we can see that being a multicultural has influenced him. It might be due to the fact that there was not given much attention to multiculturalism until the 1980s and yet, as the story is set in these years, I would say that before those years multiculturalism was seen as something strange, not belonging into one‟s society. If the
41 story took place later on, Niresh would perhaps not suffer from the issue of being multicultural. They both are still looking for their place within the society. Petrucijová says that big part of our identity comes from the era of adolescence. It is the time when we create our identities. (Petrucijová, 2005) For that the cultural interaction will reflect in their obtained identities. By comparison, they might choose which values and beliefs they want to accept. Overall, I believe that the clash of culture has a positive impact on the development of a young character because he can compare the obtained identity with others and so to decide which he will accept as his own. The clash of cultures opens person‟s eyes in many ways. By accepting other‟s values we might find our place in the society.
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Conclusion
The aim of the bachelor thesis was to find out how culture clash contributes to the development of a young character. By analysing the novel Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai, I have come to the conclusion that culture, without doubts, influences person‟s identity. Amrith gets to know a different world, which enriches his identity. The cultural clash helps him to accept other values and norms, about which his society does not talk. There are examples in the book which show that the culture clash offers a choice for young characters to decide which values they want to take up. The insight into other culture helps them to comprehend the values, beliefs and norms of others. I would say that it also opens person‟s eyes in many ways. By accepting other‟s values we might find our place in the society
Overall, the culture clash has a positive impact on the development of book‟s characters – Amrith and Niresh. Due to the insight to other culture, Amrith comes to realization of where his place within the family is. He accepts a respectful attitude towards his, albeit adoptive, family. Amrith realizes that family means a lot to him. By having a friend from abroad, his self-confidence grows up and he feels more important. Amrith also gets the idea of what „abroad‟ means. Even though most people in Sri Lanka think that to be from „abroad‟ is something exciting, impressive, or great, Amrith, thanks to his Canadian cousin, has the change to see what „being from abroad‟ might really mean. As for Niresh, a Canadian young boy, his stay in Sri Lanka enriches him as well. He finally gets to meet the culture his parents come from. Although he is mostly shocked by the traditions and costumes that he experiences, it seems that he wants to get into that particular society of his origins; that he wants to to absorb the culture in order to obtain new identity. It is because Niresh realizes within the story that he neither belongs to Canadian society, nor to Sri Lankan one. Therefore he tries to find his place in the world by adapting himself to the other culture.
Within the analysis of the novel Swimming in the Monsoon Sea, I have also become aware of other facts than of those that I had been looking for. Shyam Selvadurai does not only underline the influence of culture on one‟s personality in the book, but he
43 also wants to portray the environment, nature, and atmosphere of Sri Lanka. This finding proved Kamboureli‟s fact that those Canadian authors from South Asia maintain strong bonds to their country of origins. They are proud of their ancient civilizations and traditions and determined to make their inheritance part of their Canadian writing. For that Selvadurai describes Sri Lanka very precisely. Another fact which has caught my attention was the simile of the story to Selvadurai‟s personal life. The author reflects himself in the Amrith‟s character. In Selvadurai‟s teenage years he also had to deal with the problem of being a gay. For that, as he mentions, he has written the novel; in it he helps those Sri Lankans who face the same problem. Apart from the cultural differences between Canada and Sri Lanka, the author also describes the remained traditions, costumes, and beliefs which Sri Lanka has taken up within the British, Dutch and Portuguese colonization.
Culture refers to the shared values, beliefs and norms. (Sartori, 2005) I could see that those values, beliefs and norms that people live with, are natural and normal for them. Therefore, they create their identity depending on the society they live in. If they do not have a comparison with another culture, they clearly stick to that culture and social environment they grew up in, however, if they are offered an insight to a diverse culture, they might adapt to a different values and beliefs. The changing of the book‟s characters are clear examples of such an adaptation.
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Appendix
1 Map of Sri Lanka – “Sri Lanka:Geography.” Encyclopedia Britannica. N,p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015 2 Photography of Shyam Selvadurai – “Shyam Selvadurai.” Shyam Selvadurai web page. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015 3 Mynah bird – “Mynah Bird.” Maleo Bird Unique. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015 4 Sri Lankan typical clothes – “Sri Lanka Clothing.” Wholehomefurniture.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015
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1 Map of Sri Lanka
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2 Photography of Shyam Selvadurai
3 Mynah bird
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4 Sri Lankan typical clothes
Sari Sarong
Typical men‟s shirt
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